Metal Gear Solid V Prologue Features Sexual Violence

The prologue for the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: the Phantom Pain, known as Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, is billed as one of the first M rated game to feature "Sexual Violence" in the ESRB description.

The first M-rated game to feature "Sexual Violence" in the description was a Japanese horror adventure game from 2006 known as Animamundi: Dark Alchemist. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is only the second game to warn users about sexual violence.

According to the ESRB Rating Information page, the "sexual violence" in question will take the form of an off-screen attack:

"The game includes an audio file in which a female character is sexually assaulted by male characters; while there is no visual depiction, sounds of ripped clothing and struggle can be heard."

Other games have gained attention in the past for usages of sexual violence--the demo for Hotline Miami 2, for example, which included a staged rape scene that the player was intended to participate in; as well as the classic game Custer's Revenge. The Atari 2600 game has long been derided as being controversial, as well as being one of the most racist games of all time for its depiction of the rape of a native woman.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes will release on March 18, 2014 in North America on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.